The Knicks' race to the bottom isn't only about Zion Williamson

The race to the bottom — the very bottom — isn’t about Zion Williamson.

With the pitiful Suns crushing the Knicks on Wednesday night — and the moribund Cavs falling to Brooklyn — it’s worth remembering that Adam Silver changed the rules so that the three worst teams all have the same chance of landing the No. 1 pick.

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Those chances are only 14 percent, just 6.5 percentage points greater than the team with the seventh-worst record. In other words, ‘Not Tryin’ For Zion’ is an inherently flawed premise.

But there is an advantage to finishing at the bottom in the NBA, which is what the Knicks (13-52) and Suns (15-51) were fighting for at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The worst team can’t fall further than fifth in the draft lottery, while the second-worst has a 20 percent chance of picking sixth.

Why is this important? For starters, scouts view the 2019 class as very top heavy. But also consider history: there have been 37 drafts from 1980 to 2016, and there’s a big dropoff at No. 6 in terms of All-Stars picked in that spot (just 19 percent). Every spot from 1-5 produced an All-Star at least 30 percent of the time.

With that in mind, below is a breakdown of the projected top-6 picks in the 2019 NBA draft.

RJ Barrett (Chris Seward / AP)

1. Zion Williamson

Age at time of the draft: 18

School: Duke

Position: F

Height: 6-8

Stats: 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 68 percent shooting

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The upside:

Even if I put a concrete ceiling on Zion he’d jump right through it. Never before has there been a combination of size, power and explosiveness. It’s become legend. Like Shaq used to destroy backboards, rims and stanchions, Zion is deflating basketballs and crushing sneakers. Also like Shaq, LeBron and Kobe, Zion is already recognized by just his first name.

The downside:

He’s not a good shooter from the outside, at just 29 percent from the college 3. With that weight (285 pounds) and playing style, there are real concerns about his health in the NBA.

2. RJ Barrett

Age at time of the draft: 19

School: Duke

Position: Wing

Height: 6-7

Stats: 23.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 46 percent shooting

The upside:

A gifted scorer and finisher at the rim with the physical tools of a star. Barrett can flat-out score and his production at Duke is proof.

The downside:

He’s accused of having tunnel vision with the ball and has obvious deficiencies as a playmaker. Moreover, his shot is not efficient (just 31 percent from beyond the NCAA arc) and he’s inconsistent.

Ja Morant (Timothy D. Easley / AP)

3. Ja Morant

Age at time of the draft: 19

School: Murray State

Position: G

Height: 6-3

Stats: 24.1 points, 10.3 assists, 50 percent shooting

The upside:

He has an edge that you love to see in a lead guard and holds elite playmaking potential. He’s also an explosive athlete with a tool set reminiscent of Russell Westbrook’s.

The downside:

He plays for a mid-major program, so the stats are inflated. The jumper is improving but he’s far from elite in that category. At only 175 pounds, Morant needs to add strength in order to thrive in the NBA.

4. Jarrett Culver

Age at the time of the draft: 20

School: Texas Tech

Position: G

Height: 6-7

Stats: 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 48 percent shooting

The upside:

A two-way player who is a versatile scorer and playmaker. Physically, he already fits the profile of an NBA player. He doesn’t need the ball to be productive, which will be a plus for the Knicks who are filling out their roster with ball-dominant players.

The downside:

The downside is that his upside is not that great. A high floor, low ceiling type pick. Not particularly elite at anything. Just solid at everything.

Cam Reddish (Gerry Broome / AP)

5. Cam Reddish

Age at time of the draft: 19

School: Duke

Position: Wing

Height: 6-8

Stats: 14 points, 3.7 rebounds, 36 percent shooting

The upside:

He can shoot and he has the length to be a strong defender in the premier position of the new-age NBA. A potential 3-and-D specialist, and you can’t have enough of those on the roster.

The downside:

It’s been a very underwhelming freshman season for Reddish, a gut-punch to all the preseason hype. There are questions about his effort level (which should give the Knicks pause after the same concerns were raised about the struggling Kevin Knox).

6. Darius Garland

Age at time of the draft: 19

School: Vanderbilt

Position: G

Height: 6-2

Stats: 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 54 percent shooting

The upside:

A top-level shooter from deep, by far the best in this top-6 list. He’ll bring mystery to the combine after missing most of the season following knee surgery. It was a meniscus repair, so the longterm outlook shouldn’t be bad.

The downside:

The fact that Garland would be considered at this point in the draft is indicative of the dropoff after the top-5. Even before his knee injury, he wasn’t an elite prospect. He’s small and only a decent athlete.